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So... my house I've been trying to sell for a month and a half just went under contract and will close (hopefully!) in 3 weeks. Woo hoo! Everything seems a go and on track. My concern is with the buyer's agent. (My listing agent said she spoke to her about what I'm about to share but I know she was nicer than I would have been and did not want to ruffle feathers.) So I am wondering if it would be advisable to write the buyer's agent and her broker a letter after the sale goes through.
Background: I had 20 showings in a month before contract and after every showing I would check in on my house (it's vacant) to make sure things were left ok. I had spent months painting, cleaning, updating, etc....and obviously wanted to protect my investment until it sold. The only instructions I left for showing agents upon leaving were: lock all doors and gates, pull down any blinds you pull up, leave on any lights that are on when you get there on. Nothing out of the ordinary or hard to understand. Just leave the place as you find it, right?
The following is what happened on each of the three times this agent showed my house to her clients (same clients each time).
FIRST SHOWING: Back gate left unlocked. Key left in rear deadbolt. Front deadbolt not engaged. Lights all turned off. Blinds pulled half up in a bunch of windows. (Not a HUGE deal but did ask my agent to call her and let her know this was how I found the house. Said she did and that the buyer's agent apologized. Ok, fine. No harm done.)
SECOND SHOWING: Back gate left unlocked, again. Lights all turned off. Huge black scratches on newly painted wall where they had pulled out chairs to talk and slammed against the wall. Closet doorknob ripped off and left on a shelf. NO PHONE CALL TO MY AGENT TO LET HER KNOW THESE THINGS HAD HAPPENED. (Again, asked my agent to call her and she did and the buyer's agent did admit these things had happened. My agent pressed her why she didn't call to let her know and buyer's agent said she was embarrassed!)
THIRD SHOWING (home inspection): First, they had asked for a 7 day inspection contingency (why so short?), scheduled the inspection for the last possible day (of course) and couldn't get it done in time. (*insert eye roll here*) Asked for a two day extension. I said fine. They missed the extension deadline and submitted it the next day. Now, I *could* have been nasty because as per the contract they had till midnight to get things to me or they took the house AS IS. BUT I let them submit it late anyway.
So.....I go to check the house after the inspection happened and find:
Back gate left unlocked for the THIRD time. Front deadbolt unlatched. Lights all out. The attic access panel and surrounding area was covered in filthy black handprints (on a pristine white ceiling). Coke or juice had been spilled all over my kitchen counter and left to dry in a sticky mess. Napkins and straw wrappers left on the table. Also, she didn't stay for the inspection, just let the inspector and buyers in and then came back and locked up hours later.
Now, I know none of these things are the end of the world but it just makes me so angry at the lack of professionalism and rudeness demonstrated by this agent. Even if your clients are slobs isn't it your JOB as a realtor to go behind them and make sure that a property THAT IS NOT YOUR OWN is left in good condition?? I'm just so irritated.
Would it be out of line to write to the agent and her broker (after the sale goes through) explaining how disappointed I was in her professionalism?
So... my house I've been trying to sell for a month and a half just went under contract and will close (hopefully!) in 3 weeks. Woo hoo! Everything seems a go and on track. My concern is with the buyer's agent. (My listing agent said she spoke to her about what I'm about to share but I know she was nicer than I would have been and did not want to ruffle feathers.) So I am wondering if it would be advisable to write the buyer's agent and her broker a letter after the sale goes through.
Background: I had 20 showings in a month before contract and after every showing I would check in on my house (it's vacant) to make sure things were left ok. I had spent months painting, cleaning, updating, etc....and obviously wanted to protect my investment until it sold. The only instructions I left for showing agents upon leaving were: lock all doors and gates, pull down any blinds you pull up, leave on any lights that are on when you get there on. Nothing out of the ordinary or hard to understand. Just leave the place as you find it, right?
The following is what happened on each of the three times this agent showed my house to her clients (same clients each time).
FIRST SHOWING: Back gate left unlocked. Key left in rear deadbolt. Front deadbolt not engaged. Lights all turned off. Blinds pulled half up in a bunch of windows. (Not a HUGE deal but did ask my agent to call her and let her know this was how I found the house. Said she did and that the buyer's agent apologized. Ok, fine. No harm done.)
SECOND SHOWING: Back gate left unlocked, again. Lights all turned off. Huge black scratches on newly painted wall where they had pulled out chairs to talk and slammed against the wall. Closet doorknob ripped off and left on a shelf. NO PHONE CALL TO MY AGENT TO LET HER KNOW THESE THINGS HAD HAPPENED. (Again, asked my agent to call her and she did and the buyer's agent did admit these things had happened. My agent pressed her why she didn't call to let her know and buyer's agent said she was embarrassed!)
THIRD SHOWING (home inspection): First, they had asked for a 7 day inspection contingency (why so short?), scheduled the inspection for the last possible day (of course) and couldn't get it done in time. (*insert eye roll here*) Asked for a two day extension. I said fine. They missed the extension deadline and submitted it the next day. Now, I *could* have been nasty because as per the contract they had till midnight to get things to me or they took the house AS IS. BUT I let them submit it late anyway.
So.....I go to check the house after the inspection happened and find:
Back gate left unlocked for the THIRD time. Front deadbolt unlatched. Lights all out. The attic access panel and surrounding area was covered in filthy black handprints (on a pristine white ceiling). Coke or juice had been spilled all over my kitchen counter and left to dry in a sticky mess. Napkins and straw wrappers left on the table. Also, she didn't stay for the inspection, just let the inspector and buyers in and then came back and locked up hours later.
Now, I know none of these things are the end of the world but it just makes me so angry at the lack of professionalism and rudeness demonstrated by this agent. Even if your clients are slobs isn't it your JOB as a realtor to go behind them and make sure that a property THAT IS NOT YOUR OWN is left in good condition?? I'm just so irritated.
Would it be out of line to write to the agent and her broker (after the sale goes through) explaining how disappointed I was in her professionalism?
Thanks for your thoughts.....
I would have made a complaint to her broker after the second incident. The first time might have been an accident. A repeat after a warning tells me it was on purpose.
Just get it to closing without making issues and put the money in the bank. Can you imagine what this house will look like 2 years after this new owner takes possession ?
Get to closing and then after write a letter. It will probably fall on deaf ears anyway. I detest selling houses. I had similar things happen to me. I came home one day from work to find my garage door wide open. We lived in the house still and there was my snow blower and everything else on display. Our last house purchase our realtor was extremely inconsiderate that she embarrassed us. We looked at the house in dead of winter with lots of snow on the ground. She stomped through it like a child and when we walked in the house she didn't even bother to knock the snow off. Her boots were totally covered. She walked right through the house leaving bits of snow as she walked. I stopped to take off my own boots and she said it wasn't necessary. She said, "its just water!" Well I am sure the homeowner didn't want wet carpets. We decided to write an offer expecting to go to her office, instead she had us write it up at their kitchen table. It felt odd but I thought well okay. She realized her cell phone was dead so she used their house phone to call the office. She left the cordless phone laying on the table. Then she didn't have a pen and rifled through their kitchen drawers in search one. She also left the pen on the table. When we got up to leave I noticed she left a puddle on the kitchen floor from her boots. The sellers ended up being a nightmare to deal with but part of me wonders if they were peeved with us from the beginning. It was quite obvious I'm sure that we gave the impression we felt at home but not in a good way.
Where exactly was your agent all this time on these issues? It is not what you say, but how you say it and she could have politely reminded this agent to take care of those issues important to you. Her office should have had a call each and every time this buyers agent wanted access to your home. A short reminder email...very friendly reminded he/she to close the back gate, etc would not have been out of line nor would it have interrupted your transaction.
Your agent should have jumped in after the second incident, when it was obvious you were dealing with inconsiderate baffoons. But I also agree you need to keep your eye on the prize. If the home is on Lockbox, take it off immediately after the appraisal. They should not get access until the walk-thru. It would be nice if you had photos of the lack of consideration, but be prepared with camera for any future visits. I sure hope they don't expect you to fix the closet door knob.
I'm a firm believer this isn't the first time there has been a complaint about this agent. And in the grand scheme of things, these items aren't really a big deal - some borderline nitpicking. But....they are not professional actions, something this industry strives (and fights) for daily. And for that reason alone, I think you need to send a letter to the broker. If these actions continue, then send one to the professional organization that agent belongs to. Your letter should be a demand for the professionalism to improve, nothing more.
As a Realtor myself I can understand your frustration as anyone would. I must say with the exception of the key in the deadbolt and the fast that she let the inspector and the buyers in and left its really tiny easy to miss tasks while you are talking to clients and trying to remember which lights you turned on or were on prior to arrival. Still annoying I don't disagree.
I am most concerned with YOUR agent from what I have read. Putting a unit with furniture and special requests such as you mentioned above on lock box is pretty lazy and pathetic.. Not showing for the inspection?? more pathetic... Listings agents should own the property and be the last one to leave the premises after a quick scan to be sure the place is back in the order it was left and secured. Your agent is the one acting in a less than professional way. There is really never an excuse for lockbox showings unless its an empty house in need of a bunch of work, under construction or to be used in rare situations when you cannot make a showing and know and trust the judgement of the other broker who will be entering the unit that your seller trusted in you to do everything to protect his or her interests and deliver a smooth, stress free and damage free sale to a qualified buyer at a fair and agreed upon number. Your agent should be there meeting the other agent and establishing a relationship of sorts as it will help to know one another in the coming weeks or months as documents and emails and calls are exchanged. Your agent set up a sloppy careless and lazy sales plan and while the other agent may have been messy... Your agent was not their to grant your wishes. The buyers agent did her job, she brought you a good qualified client and attended the 3 showings, inspection (even if shortened she was there and yours was not) and seems to have executed all the needed paperwork. As far as your comment "you could have been nasty" Yes maybe to yourself.. The inspection is all reliant on getting an inspector scheduled who does show and who can come within whatever time frame you set. 7 days is normal and so are extensions to every deadline in a sale with significant financing from a lender. Be happy that your buyers agent exists and was willing to leave the office 4+ times that your agent was unwilling or too lazy to do.
You shouldnt be on here asking other agents what to do next, you should be sitting back care free picking out furniture for your next house while your agent smoothly handles the sale of the old home and purchase of the new one all at once.. Or did your agent just send you out to open houses to find your new home and collect a commission without ever leaving home or the office.
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